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071614condescemerrow
10:27 SO: Your mother is waiting for you at the foot of the elevator that goes to the surface. 10:28 AA: Merrow nods to his mother and enters the Elevator after her. 10:28 AA: "WE ARE PREPARED." 10:29 AA: "WE HAVE JUST SPOKEN TO THE PRINCESS MILOKO. SHE HAS ALSO APPARENTLY BEEN CONTACTED BY THE YOUNGER AGGARO." 10:29 AA: "WE WERE NOT SURE HOW MUCH TO REVEAL TO HER. WE ERRED ON THE SIDE OF DISCRETION, BUT TRIED TO OFFER HER SUCH REASSURANCES AS WE WERE ABLE." 10:30 SO: "Excellent. We'll be leaving immediately. As far as most News outlets know, We're going camping with them. And I'm not surprised. Apparently Darmok has developed a bit of an obsession with her. 10:30 AA: "YES. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE IS QUITE FLUSHED FOR HER." 10:31 SO: "Better her than you." She scoffs, and the elevator stops at a large garage. You see today it's filled with a cavalcade of tanks, and elite troops. Your mother's bodyguard, Kikate, salutes respectfully. "Your Imperial Grace. Your Majesty." 10:32 AA: "YES. HOWEVER WE HAVE A CERTAIN FONDNESS FOR THAT ONE. SHE RESPECTS TROLL CULTURE IN A WAY HER FATHER DOES NOT. WE WOULD HATE IT IF SOMETHING BAD WERE TO HAPPEN TO HER." 10:32 AA: "DO YOU BELIEVE THE YOUNGER AGGARO IS DANGEROUS? THAT HE WOULD HARM HER?" 10:33 SO: Laynne nods politely to Kikate. "We trust you and your child will be along soon?" Kikate nods. "Once we're sure you are both secure, Your Grace." 10:33 AA: "OH, IS THE NAGISA CHILD ALSO AMONG THE ACCEPTED THEN?" 10:34 SO: She turns her attention back to you. "We doubt it. From what we have seen of the boy, we would rather have him with us than against us. And yes. Tethys was selected as well. We are hoping she will do her father proud and serve as an able bodyguard in the trials ahead." 10:35 AA: Merrow nods. "VERY GOOD." 10:36 SO: She climbs into a tank, and beckons you after. "We've ensured you have the most secure quarters in the facility. Sadly, some of the human choices seem purely intent to mock us, and I will not risk your safety." 10:37 AA: "HMM. YES, THAT DOES SOUND LIKE THEM. THEY ARE NOTHING IF NOT ERRATIC." 10:39 SO: She scoffs. "Did you know they have insisted on adding that no account Ryspor Tezeti's son, Thiago, to the list? Despite his constant pushing of that terrible knock off clothing brand for humans, 'Lane Bryant'." 10:40 AA: "THIAGO? OH, YES, THAT ONE TRIED TO CONTACT US EARLIER. CLAIMED TO WISH NOTHING MORE THAN TO BECOME MY LIEUTENANT. HONESTLY, HE SEEMED HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS." 10:40 AA: "NOT THAT WE ARE NOT WILLING TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE, BUT HE SEEMED FAR TOO EAGER." 10:41 AA: "WHY WOULD THE HUMANS WISH TO DEAL WITH THE PIRATE THOUGH? DOES HE NOT RAID THEIR VESSELS AS WELL? OR IS HE SIMPLY A TURNCOAT?" 10:41 SO: "We think it was purely to mock us. We got them back, though, and insisted on adding Dean Howard's daughter Mari." 10:42 AA: "DEAN HOWARD? THE TRAITOR?" 10:43 AA: Merrow grunts. "TO BE HONEST MOTHER, WE ARE NOT OVERFOND OF TRAITORS EVEN WHEN THEY DO DEFECT TO THE CORRECT SIDE. LOYALTY IS NECESSARY IN A SUBORDINATE. SUCH OPPORTUNISM IS UNBECOMING" 10:43 AA: "DOES THIS YOUNGER HOWARD SHOW ANY SIGNS OF BEING AS FECKLESS AS HER PARENT?" 10:43 SO: "Yes." She laughs. "We couldn't have them thinking they could get away with such nonsense. I mean, they insisted on including BOTH of their princesses, when we only have you." She strokes your cheek in an attempt at affection. "And no, she doesn't." 10:44 AA: "THAT IS GOOD THEN. WE WOULD HATE TO HAVE A TURNCOAT FOR A SUBORDINATE." 10:44 SO: She sighs again. "There's something else we must tell you, though. As you know, we have had much genetic testing done on the applicants." 10:44 AA: "HMM. YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD DONE SO FOR ME, BUT I COULD ONLY SPECULATE ABOUT THE OTHERS." 10:45 SO: "Your 'friend', Miloko... She is apparently also our child. I tell you this not as some attempt to make you close, but to warn you. If it should come out that there is a female heir, even though her blood is of the wrong color, some trolls may revolt and attempt to place her on the throne solely due to her superior sex." 10:45 SO: "These human ideas of 'equality' have been disasterous for us." 10:46 AA: "THIS IS MOST CONCERNING. ESPECIALLY AS, AS WE HAVE MENTIONED, WE ARE FOND OF HER." 10:47 AA: "BUT YES, WE CAN SEE WHERE THERE WOULD BE DIFFICULTIES IF A FEMALE HEIR WERE TO BECOME KNOWN....ESPECIALLY AS SHE IS OLDER THAN US AS WELL." 10:48 AA: "ARE THE HUMANS AWARE OF THIS? IS SHE LIKELY TO BE TOLD?" 10:48 AA: "MILOKO IS NOT VERY STRONG WILLED. IT MAY BE SHE WOULD HAVE NO AMBITION FOR THE THRONE EVEN IF SHE WERE TO BECOME AWARE OF IT. BUT WE WOULD HATE TO HAVE A FIGHT FOR SUCCESSION AMONG OUR HANDS. ESPECIALLY IF WE WERE FORCED TO FIGHT A COMPATRIOT." 10:52 SO: "Miloko's father decided ages ago not to tell Queen Beau, as he worried it would have poor implications for Miloko. He also wishes not to tell Miloko, for fear We would hunt her down and kill her to prevent such a scenario. She is safer in her blissful ignorance." 10:52 AA: "AGREED. WE WILL REFRAIN FROM MAKING HER AWARE THEN. IT IS A SHAME. HAVING A SISTER MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE." 10:53 AA: "MOTHER....DO YOU WISH WE HAD BEEN YOUR DAUGHTER, RATHER THAN YOUR SON?" 10:55 SO: "We had intended to simply live forever, so gave no thought to gender. And when we saw you, we knew you were the only heir we could ever want. Thoughts of a daughter never entered our mind." 10:56 AA: "WE WILL TAKE SOME SOLACE IN THAT, THEN. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, TO SEE THE LOOKS SOME TROLLS GIVE US WHEN THEY SAY THE WORD 'PRINCE.'" 10:56 SO: "You should see the looks some humans give that both their princesses have troll blood. It is not all so bad. At least you are Trueborn. Though... There is another matter. Your Father." 10:57 AA: "YES. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEWHAT CURIOUS ABOUT THAT." 11:01 SO: She coughs. "As we mentioned before, we haven't engaged in any silly human intimacies, or submitted any buckets. However, genetic testing shows that your father is Commander Balish himself." 11:01 AA: "..." 11:02 AA: "WE SUPPOSE IT COULD BE WO--" Merrow stops short. 11:02 AA: "WAIT. BUT THAT WOULD MAKE THE YOUNGER AGGARO..." 11:02 AA: "WELL GLUB. OUR HALF-BROTHER IS ROMANCING OUR HALF-SISTER. THIS IS SOME SOAP OPERA BULLSHARKSHIT RIGHT HERE." 11:04 AA: "ALSO OUR HALF-BROTHER IS A CRAZED HIGHBLOOD WHO SPEAKS IN RIDDLES." 11:05 SO: "Yes." She sighs. "Commander Aggaro's idea of 'parenting' is torture. Literally." 11:05 AA: "THEN WE ARE THRILLED THAT OUR FATHER HAS NOT HAD MUCH TO DO WITH OUR REARING." 11:06 AA: "WE DO NOT SUPPOSE THE COMMANDER HAS ANY INSIGHT INTO UNDERSTANDING THE RAVINGS OF HIS OFFSPRING?" 11:07 AA: "HIS....OTHER OFFSPRING, WE MEAN." 11:09 SO: "Darmok? No. The boy stopped speaking in his father's presence, constantly chanting something about a Dragon's Back." 11:09 AA: "ODD. ALTHOUGH NOT THAT ODD WE SUPPOSE. WE WOULD ALSO NOT BE OVERFOND OF SPEAKING TO OUR TORTURERS." 11:11 SO: "Indeed." The tanks roll to a stop. "We don't think we need to tell you that you will be intensely monitored at this facility." 11:11 AA: "OF COURSE. IT WOULD BE RECKLESS TO DO OTHERWISE." 11:12 AA: "SO HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS ARE WE EXPECTING AGAIN? AND HOW LONG DO WE ESTIMATE IT WILL TAKE TO HAVE THEM ASSEMBLED?" 11:15 SO: "Twenty. And we should see them trickling in over the next month. As the program moves forward. The Earth Princesses will be next, I suppose. Though Darmok is already here." 11:16 AA: "WE SEE. WE FEEL WE SHOULD OFFER HIM SOME SORT OF OLIVE BRANCH, AS OUR BROTHER....HOWEVER, COMMUNICATING WITH HIM IS NOT OVEREASY." 11:17 AA: "AS LONG AS YOU ARE MONITORING OUR CONVERSATIONS, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DEDICATE ANY CRYPTOLOGISTS OR THE LIKE TO DECIPHERING HIS NONSENSE? PERHAPS WE COULD FIND A WAY TO SPEAK." 11:18 AA: "OR ARE RESOURCES ALREADY STRETCHED TOO THIN FOR WHAT AMOUNTS TO LITTLE MORE THAN A VANITY PROJECT?" 11:20 SO: "At the moment, most of our resources are dedicated to keeping the general public from finding out what's going on. However, once the end comes, all forces are being redirected to keeping the compound secure. The end actually starts before the game." 11:21 AA: "WE SEE. IT WAS AN IDLE THOUGHT, SO NO HUGE LOSS, WE SUPPOSE. WE CAN ATTEMPT TO FIGURE IT OUT OURSELVES, IN THE MEANTIME. 11:21 AA: "IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD BE DOING TO PREPARE?" 11:22 SO: "Figure out who you would choose for allies. Figure out who you would eliminate. We sadly cannot do much once we're inside, as we are not a 'Player'." 11:23 SO: She sighs and stands. "Remember your duty is to the Troll Race first. Before anything else. Even us." 11:23 AA: "OH? ELIMINATION WHEN OUR NUMBERS ARE ALREADY SO SMALL SEEMS SOMEWHAT WASTFUL." 11:24 AA: Merrow nods somberly. "OF COURSE. AS WE EXPECT YOUR DUTY TO THE TROLL RACE SUPERCEDES YOUR OBLIGATION TO US. NOBLESSE OBLIGE, AND ALL. IT IS THE COST OF SUCH POWER." 11:24 AA: "WE HOPE WE ARE NOT FORCED TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION." 11:25 AA: Merrow says this a little awkwardly, not used to saying kind things to his mother. 11:26 AA: "IT WOULD....SADDEN US, IF WE WERE FORCED TO PLACE ANYTHING BETWEEN THE NEWFOUND TRUST BETWEEN US, MOTHER." 11:32 AA: "BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WOULD DISHONOR YOU IF WE WERE TO DO ANYTHING LESS THAN OUR DUTY. SO WE INTEND TO MEET IT, IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY." 11:33 SO: She nods, climbing out of the tank. "The feeling is mutual. Now, let's go find your rooms."